Biography
Lucien Veniaminovych Dulfan (born 1942, Frunze; today Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) is a painter.
1946 – The family returned to Odesa from evacuation in Frunze.
1953–1963 – Studied at the Odesa Art College named after M. Hrekov under Dina Frumina.
From 1964 – Participant in republican, all-union, and international exhibitions.
1973 – Member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine.
1975 – Awarded the “First Prize in Painting” by the Ministry of Culture of the USSR and the Union of Artists of the USSR.
Since 1990 – Lives and works in New York (USA).
One of the leading figures of the 1960s generation of Odesa nonconformists, Dulfan is a representative of Expressionism, Postmodernism, Sots Art, “Ukrainian Metaphysics,” and the Ukrainian New Wave. Lucien Dulfan is a vivid personality in global art, whose name is tied both to the distinct Odesa school and the New York avant-garde. Artist Stepan Riabchenko aptly describes Dulfan as a creator “woven from paradoxes, seasoned with a special sense of humor and profound reflection,” comparing him to “a unique fusion of Salvador Dalí and Ivan Paddubny.”
Dulfan belongs to no specific artistic movement; instead, he creates his own complex, idiosyncratic world in painting. His work during the Odesa period is characterized by a realm of value-driven relationships dominated by a nuanced color palette and blurred lines, saturated with archaic motifs and metaphor. The fantastic realism of his canvases captivates through non-traditional painting techniques utilizing complex media, original textures, unconventional compositions, novel imagery associations, and a wide range of artistic interests. Texture, multilayered application, and heavy impasto define his painting style. The artist masterfully employs white paint that emanates from within, creating a paint layer that shimmers imperceptibly. The magic of these color combinations generates a distinctly metaphysical space.
